Novotny’s Four Point Night, Leads Peterborough To 7-4 Win Over Sarnia
Written by Carl Chimenti
Adam Novotny (Vancouver Canucks), fresh from Canucks training camp, had a big night with two goals and a pair of assists to help the Peterborough Petes (1-2) to a 7-4 win over the Sarnia Sting (1-1) on Thursday night at the Peterborough Memorial Centre. Novotny was selected as the first star, and Carson Cameron, who also netted two goals, was the second star. Sting forward Easton Walos also found the back of the net twice and was named the third star. For Walos, it was his first two goals of the young season. It was a wild scoring affair as both teams combined for eleven goals on 85 shots.
Tyler Challenger (1st) and Brenner Lammens (1st) both scored their first goals of the season for the Sting. Seven different Sarnia players had one assist each. Captain Alessandro Di Iorio (Columbus Blue Jackets), in his first game since returning from NHL training camp, got an assist, joining Chase Gaughan, Cole Emerton, Jack Van Volsen, Logan Hawery, Matthew Manza, and Adrian Sgro, who recorded his first career OHL assist and point. Sarnia went 2/6 on the power play, with both goals coming off the stick of Walos.
Sting goaltender Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko (Utah Mammoth), making his second career OHL start, was very busy with 36 saves on 43 shots. The Petes went 2/4 with the man-advantage. Cooper Dennis had a goal and two assists, and Adam Levac (Detroit Red Wings) added a pair of helpers. Peterborough out-shot Sarnia by a slim margin of 43-42 and were better in the face-off circle 41-30. The third game of this four-game road swing to open the OHL season will see Sarnia travelling to Kingston on Friday night.
Sarnia got off to a good start, and it led to the first goal of the game from Challenger at 2:32 of the first period. Challenger came up with a loose puck in the neutral zone, and then drove to the front of the net, jamming the puck past goaltender Owen Nelson. Gaughan drew the lone assist. During the midpoint of the period, Tkachenko came up with an incredible save on a two-on-nothing, as he robbed Leon Kolarik with a fantastic glove save to keep the Petes off the scoreboard.
Late in the period, Peterborough struck twice. Both goals were scored by Novotny, 39 seconds apart, to give the Petes the lead through the first twenty minutes. The first goal was unassisted, and the second marker had both Levac and Dennis with the helpers. Both goals came at 14:37 and 15:02, respectively. Sarnia out-shot Peterborough 14-13 and were perfect on the penalty kill in two chances.
The Sting tied the game at 2-2 on the power play at 7:44 of the second period. It took four seconds to score with the man advantage; Van Volsen won a clean draw back to Emerton, and he quickly sent a pass to Walos, who one-timed the puck past Nelson on a hard slap shot.
The Petes then took over, scoring three times for a 5-2 lead after forty minutes of play. Braydon McCallum scored a power-play goal at 9:23, from Yanis Lutz and Aiden Young. Cameron followed that up with an even-strength goal – 29 seconds later at 9:52- from James McMurray. Cameron scored his second goal from Francis Parish at 13:24. Peterborough was better on the shot clock, 19-10.
